The Darkness of Love
by Mythandriel
Summary: Loki has come to earth to find the teseract, but he discovers much more when he meets Lillia a midgardian woman. She will be the key to the teseract and the key to his salvation. Takes place after "Thor" and before "Avengers." I have changed the storyline, and how Loki obtains the teseract. Rated M for graphic sex scenes. Enjoy the smut!
1. Chapter 1

***Please note, this story takes place before the "Avengers" film, but after the movie "Thor." It is the story of how Loki finds the teseract, and it is drastically different from the "Avengers" storyline. I hope you enjoy it anyway!**

The Darkness of Love

He had never noticed a midgardian woman before, at least not as someone beautiful or desirable. She was leading a group of young adults into the next exhibit, giving instructions on what they should be looking at and what they should be writing in their notebooks. She was tall and blonde which wasn't necessarily out of the ordinary, considering they were in Denver Colorado, but that wasn't what he noticed. She walked joyfully, and with purpose. Her long graceful legs seemed to float on the grey carpet of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Her eyes were full of wonderment and delight as she directed her students into the room. It seemed a luminosity was radiating from her, as if she were protected somehow from this mortal world. She had the most graceful hands and she was using them to illustrate her point. Loki had never seen such perfectly long and elegant fingers.

As she released the teens to discover the mummies of ancient Egypt she smiled. He was disturbed that her smile ensnared him so, her whole face transformed into something angelic. She did not hesitate or arrange her smile to flatter her face. Instead she allowed the mysterious delight from within her out into the open through a flash of her teeth and a stretch of her lips. Those lips, they were perfectly shaped, and they looked smooth and pink although she wore no lipstick. As he studied her more carefully he noticed that she wasn't beautiful per se, her nose was almost too long, and she had a bit of a weak chin. It was her spirit and soul that made her noticeable. She let everyone see the pureness and the enjoyment of her inner most self, and she wasn't embarrassed or ashamed. Most midgardian women were self-conscious or thought too much of their own ephemeral beauty, but this woman was different. She was enchanting him like some sort of woodland fairy, her smile and her movements were very sprite like.

As she walked into the room Lillia couldn't help but smile at what a wonderful day it had been so far. She was taking a group of her high school students to the museum, and most of them had never been there before. They were walking into one of her favorite exhibits when she noticed a tall man looking at the embalming tools. He had long dark hair, a stoic jaw line and icy blue eyes. Those eyes bore into her and she almost forgot what she was saying as she spoke to her students. After finally finishing her sentence she walked around to see that everyone was on task. All of her students were viewing the exhibit and behaving so well that she decided to glance over and see if the man was still staring at her. Thankfully he wasn't, now she could peek at him more closely without looking like a creeper. He was very tall and very masculine even though his body moved with the grace of a trained dancer. He had fair skin, and he walked as if he owned the entire museum and every artifact in it. He looked as though he were reading the hieroglyphics, she wondered if he could. Suddenly he turned his head and his eyes locked with hers. She felt like someone knocked the breath out of her, even though he didn't smile at her she couldn't help herself, and she smiled back. He simply cocked his head slightly to the side and politely nodded in her direction. As her legs became wobbly she blushed because this stranger made her feel so flustered. The blood was painting her cheeks a deep crimson color so she gave him a wave of her hand to return his greeting. She turned quickly to find one of her students so she could look like she was doing something other than staring at him.

Her students were learning the impractical yet fascinating way the Ancient Egyptians mummified their dead. She gathered them together to talk about how religion impacts the way we handle our deceased. After a brief but productive conversation with her students wherein she described how the Egyptians got the brains out through the noses during the process of mummification she heard the man chuckling softly to himself. She released her students to finish taking their notes, and turned to find the man standing just behind her, once again piercing her with his perfect eyes. "I wish to compliment you on your ability to turn something as banal as death into a topic of interest and entertainment." He said in a velvety smooth and cultured voice.

"Thank you, I find burial practices very interesting…I'm an anthropologist turned teacher." She surprised herself at how intelligent she was able to speak even though her heart was fluttering and she was imagining his smooth voice whispering poetry into her ear. "A most noble profession, a gifted mentor is difficult to find. I myself only had one instructor worthy of my time; but I'm sure you would have surpassed even his passion for teaching; Miss…?"

"Oh my name is Lillia; I'm pleased to meet you." She held out her hand so he could shake hers, but instead he took it, turned her palm downward and kissed the back of her hand like someone from the 18th century. It should have been odd, but it seemed to come naturally to him. As his smooth lips graced her hand his brows raised and those penetrating eyes were gazing into her face once more. His hand was warm and smooth, but it gripped hers almost too hard. "My name is Loki…the pleasure is all mine." He squeezed even harder, and she felt almost worried. She noticed some of her students were watching this exchange and she decided to keep things professional and move on to another exhibit.

"I'm very flattered at your compliment, but I should get back to my students, we have a lot to see." As she stepped away from him she imagined him asking her to tour the museum with him. She would give her students the day off, and this stranger would spend all afternoon with her. They would share a magical kiss during the sunset, and then her pumpkin carriage would show up to take her home. What a terribly syrupy imagination she had.

"Be well," said Loki as he straightened up and turned towards the hieroglyphics. She noticed that he carefully looked her up and down as if she were a sculpture he was admiring. Then he stepped back to continue reading the ancient scripts. His name sounded familiar, where did she know that name from?

"Mrs. Middleston, the worksheet asks about the book of the dead, but I can't find the translation; it's only in hieroglyphics in the diorama. Can you help me?" asked Yesenia, one of her more stressed out students. "Of course, let me have a look."

Lillia was told by the program description that the museum would have the entire book of the dead translated, but she saw only the hieroglyphics. "Oh Yesenia, no wonder you couldn't find it, they didn't translate this part of the book." Lillia was slightly irritated at the mistake of the museum, but she liked showing off for her students. She could read and understand hieroglyphics; it looked like she'd just have to translate for them. "Class, gather around; if you look at your worksheets on question 11, I'll have to translate the inscription for you so please listen carefully." She proceeded to translate the hieroglyphics, occasionally taking the time to explain some of the symbolism, as her students seemed genuinely interested in the writings. The man named Loki was once again staring at her; she wasn't sure whether to be flattered or frightened. He stared at her so brazenly. She glanced at her watch to discover that it was almost time for lunch. She gave her class the 5 minute warning and took the opportunity to sit down for a moment.

"I hate to interrupt you once again, but I overheard you reading those complex hieroglyphics." Loki was suddenly sitting next her, and she had no idea how she had failed to notice his presence. He was sitting close enough that she could smell his scent. He didn't smell of cologne, but he smelled clean and musky. It was like the smell of the first snowfall, where everything is fresh but freezing. There was also something warm to his smell, like hickory embers from a stone fireplace. She was feeling intoxicated with his scent and because of those perfect eyes boring into her mind.

"Yes, my specialty was Egyptology. I love learning languages anyways, and I have always had a passion for Ancient Egypt." Her cheeks were blushing again, but that paled in comparison to the growling that emanated from her stomach. Loki blinked, and his gaze shifted to her midsection for a brief second. She couldn't help but laugh. "I'm sorry; I guess its lunch time. I really haven't eaten too much today, all the excitement of the museum you know." She hoped she wasn't behaving too silly.

"Of course; will you be leaving after lunch?" He inquired in such a way that she wanted to reassure him that she would be staying, even though it was almost inappropriate for a stranger to be asking that.

"Of course Mrs. Middleston will be here after lunch, we'll be at the 1:25 IMAX showing of _Prehistoric Seas_ if you want to sit with her" said Yesenia with a knowing smile. Lillia gave Yesenia an exasperated glance, this stranger might be a psychopath and now her student had just invited him to sit with them in a darkened theater.

"I wouldn't impose on a class outing, just hoping Mrs. Middleston would be able to continue savoring one of her favorite places." Loki turned to Lillia and gave her a slow smile. "Enjoy the rest of your afternoon." He slid off the bench with grace, stood up and gave a little bow to both of them. "Ladies." With that he walked out of the exhibit. How did he know this was one of her favorite places?

"Yesenia! Don't do that with strangers, he could be dangerous!" Lillia scolded Yesenia and was embarrassed that her student recognized that she was distracted by this Loki character. Was it that obvious? She scolded herself for letting a strange man kiss her hand in front of her students.

"You let him kiss your hand Miss! I thought you looked interested, besides he's pretty cute for a gringo." She giggled because she enjoyed teasing white people with Mrs. Middleston. Probably because they both spoke perfect Spanish, despite Lillia being the epitome of white. "Cuidado Yesenia, let's just get everyone and go to lunch." She hoped she hadn't endangered her students in any way; but Loki didn't seem to notice anyone else in the museum, let alone her students.

The sun was shining and the sky was perfectly azure. Fall had set in, but today was warm and they were able to eat their lunches outside on the park benches. Some of the students were running around, and others were lying on the grass enjoying what was sure to be one of the last nice days of the year. Lillia reflected on her meeting with the stranger. He was so handsome, but she couldn't understand how he could affect her so deeply. Maybe she was just spending too much time with high school students, and that made him seem so cultured. It suddenly came to her; Loki was the name of the Norse god of mischief. Did his parents name him that on purpose? Was he perhaps Norwegian, where that's a common name? She couldn't get him out of her head. He was so mysterious, and was borderline scary by holding onto her hand when he kissed it. Come to think of it Ted Bundy was also a mysterious, good looking person, and he delighted in killing women. Lillia decided to text her best friend Katy about what happened. She needed another perspective.


	2. Chapter 2

The Darkness of Love

They were sitting at the top of the IMAX Theater waiting for the show to start, the students buzzed with excitement as many of them had never seen an IMAX special. Lillia was sitting at the end of the row near the steps, this way she could monitor any students who felt like ditching. Everyone was getting settled in, the lights began to dim and Lillia felt a breeze of cool air brush her arm. This in and of itself was not strange as theaters are often drafty, but she caught a whiff of fire and ice. The same scent she smelled on the man Loki had just wafted past her nose at the same time the air grazed her arm. She shivered involuntarily, looked around and saw nothing; she decided that her mind was just playing tricks on her. She put on her sweater and settled in to enjoy the show.

Loki waited until almost everyone was admitted into the theater; then he used his magic and walked towards the entrance. He was invisible of course, and was able to stroll right passed the usher without even a hint of suspicion. Midgardians are not really very perceptive, and it was easy to waltz in and look around. He didn't know whether or not he'd be able to find her - but her blonde hair was so striking. She just happened to be sitting under one of the canned lights and he spotted her within moments. There was an empty seat just behind her, so he headed up the stairs. Taking a risk he walked so close by her that he almost touched her, he wanted to see how sensitive she was. Indeed, she sat up straight, looked around and seemed to shiver. She looked right at him as a matter of fact, but of course she couldn't see him.

Although Loki was sitting behind her he was able to study her quite carefully. She would occasionally whisper to one of her students, and she was obviously very engaged in the film. She was taking some notes in the dark, so Loki stood up and peered over her shoulder. She was writing in hieroglyphics. It was a grocery list, and a to-do list. How odd for someone to use hieroglyphics, did she need the practice? Was she bored? He was entirely intrigued and he became impatient to know whether or not she was knowledgeable enough to help him on his mission. He was burdened with a glorious purpose, and was stuck. It was possible this midgardian woman could help. Loki didn't wait for the end of the film, he left the auditorium early. He wanted to start formulating his plan.

Lillia was the first one in to work as usual. It was a chilly November day, but Thanksgiving break was fast approaching and she was ready for a little time off. At least the frosty morning was helping her wake up; at just past 6:30 in the morning Lillia wasn't entirely awake. After organizing everything for the day ahead she stepped into the empty hallways and walked down to the teachers' lounge to check her mailbox. There was a crisp manila envelope addressed to her with a hand written label and no return address. She had time before classes started so she decided to open it in the lounge.

It was an invitation from Denver University to come and help a team of archaeologists and Egyptologists decipher some hieroglyphics discovered outside of present day Alexandria. They were believed to be the oldest hieroglyphics ever discovered and so far no one had been able to accurately translate them. They were carved onto four tablets. Lillia could not believe that she would be invited, she wasn't known to be an expert; she didn't even have a PhD. She had taken some Egyptology classes in her undergraduate studies, but no one knew how well she could translate hieroglyphics, except for some of her professors. Maybe all the students from her classes received the same invitation. What could she possibly contribute? She didn't have time for this anyways. It was too bad, because this is something she would actually like to participate in. She found an RSVP card with a pre-paid envelope inside. She would send them her regretful decision, and ask to be considered for future offers.

After placing the RSVP card in the mail she walked back to her classroom wishing it was Thanksgiving break already. She loved her students, but since August she had been putting in 11-12 hours a day and she was becoming exhausted. The voicemail light was blinking on her phone. How odd, someone had called her at 6:45 in the morning, maybe it was a helicopter parent. She pressed one to hear the message; and a male voice cleared his throat before speaking.

"Good morning Mrs. Middleston, this is Dr. Selvig over at Denver University, we're hoping you've received our invitation. We hope you will be available to assist us as these hieroglyphics appear to be of Sumerian origin. I know that you have translated Sumerian symbols for Professor Morales in the past. I understand that you are a very busy person, but we are willing to compensate you for your time. Please give me a call back at 303-422-6100. Again this is Dr. Selvig, Thank you."

Lillia had to listen to the message twice to fully understand what she had just heard. Apparently Professor Morales had passed her name along to this doctor who was in possession of the tablets. It would be rude not to call him back; if they could work around her school schedule she could use the extra money. It better be good money for her to drive down to Denver on a regular basis, which was an hour away.

Her hands were shaking as she dialed Dr. Selvig's number. It had hardly rang at all when she heard the same voice clearing his throat before saying, "This is Dr. Selvig."

"Dr. Selvig this is Lillia Middleston, I just received both your invitation and your voice message."

"Miss Middleston, how wonderful of you to call me back so quickly, I hope it wasn't too early?"

"Not at all, I wanted to call because I sent back a reply in the mail saying that I wouldn't be able to help, but I have to admit my curiosity is piqued."

"Basically you would come in to work with copies of the tablets as often as you were able; we would supply all the research material for you, as well as an office and an hourly wage. Our hope is that these tablets get translated correctly…we believe they may be of great importance in solving some mysteries that occurred during the first dynasty."

"That sounds fascinating! I don't know if I could be of help to you, but I am familiar with the Sumerian influences during that time period. May I ask what the hourly wage would be? Not that I'm all about the money, but gas is rather pricey these days." She felt stupid even using that as an excuse; it was just that her time was very limited. Her paycheck was limited too, and she was hoping this would help.

"Certainly, you would be paid $32.00 an hour, not to exceed 8 hours in a day."

Lillia almost choked, that was way more than she was making as a teacher.

"Would I be able to work weekends?"

"Of course, the lab would be empty; I hope you don't mind working alone. It would be you and the security guards."

"I don't mind working alone, sometimes I prefer it. Have any other experts responded to your invitations?"

"Miss Middleston, we sent out two invitations. One to you, and one to Professor Morales, unfortunately his mother passed away and he'll be on sabbatical for the rest of the year to take care of family matters."

"So basically you and I are working on translating the oldest, and possibly the most valuable hieroglyphics to come out of the first dynasty?" This seemed strange, there were at least 70 other scientists in the world who could help.

There was a pause before Dr. Selvig responded.

"If I invite the other professional archaeologists they will be taking partial credit and almost my entire budget for the whole year. I was hoping I could manage with just the help of those less experienced and less expensive."

"Ah, you want to try it out with the amateurs first. As long as you know that I am probably not the best person for this job. I do promise to try my best to translate the hieroglyphics."

"That sounds wonderful; I hope you aren't offended at my motives?"

"Your motives are giving me a chance to break into a field that I am most interested in. Plus you are paying me more than I make teaching. I think this is a win-win situation."

She heard Dr. Selvig laughing, "Indeed, well I'm glad we can help each other out. Would there be any way that you could come down today, I need to get your paperwork done and set you up with a security badge."

"The earliest I can come down is 4:30."

"I will still be here, let me give you the address."

Lillia copied down the address and said goodbye to Dr. Selvig who actually seemed pretty nice. This all sounded too good to be true, but as long as he knew she was an amateur…and as long as she got paid.


	3. Chapter 3

The Darkness of Love

Chapter 3

Lillia walked up to a 3 story building and through a pair of large glass doors. There was a security guard who made her sign in on the guest list. He also escorted her into the elevators, and all the way to Dr. Selvig's office. When he knocked on the door Dr. Selvig walked out. He was a tall man with white hair, but he didn't look older than 55. He had a very kind face, and bright blue eyes. His eyes were so bright; they almost seemed to be glowing. He shook her hand and invited her into the office. It was filled with what looked like 20 years of books and papers. There were bookshelves covering all the wall space, and one small window behind his desk. Despite the cluttered bookshelves his desk was very clean and organized. It had all her paperwork laid out and ready. They had an amicable conversation about the weather, and were soon chatting like old colleagues over the new finds. Lillia couldn't help herself she really wanted to see the tablets.

"Dr. Selvig, before I leave, would it be possible to see the tablets, maybe take a few notes about the reference guides that I'll need?"

"Of course! We'll take a look at them after we get your photo taken for your security badge."

It was the best picture she had ever taken; she actually liked the way she looked on her security badge. Dr. Selvig was leading her down the hall to the lab where the tablets and all the research books were kept. He opened the door showing Lillia how to use her badge and led her into the room. The tablets were being kept in a glass case on one of the 4 tables in the room. They were propped up so they could be easily read. One side of the lab contained a floor to ceiling bookshelf with what she assumed were translation guides and other relevant books. There was also a man sitting at the only desk in the room, his back was to them, and it appeared he was writing something down. When he turned around Lillia's breath caught in her throat. It was the man Loki from the museum. Today he looked even more imposing because he wore a fashionable grey suit, and he was smiling at her.

"Miss Middleston, I've been expecting you."

Loki turned his attention to Dr. Selvig, "Thank you Eric, you may go now." Dr. Selvig simply nodded his head and closed the door behind him; leaving Lillia alone with Loki.

Loki rose from the desk and was walking towards her. He had a faint smile on his lips.

"It's lovely to see you again."

"Oh, hello! You're Loki right? I'm sorry but I don't think we discussed your last name Dr..?"

"You may call me Loki." At that he took her hand in his and kissed it.

"Ok." Said Lillia smiling, "and you can just call me Lillia as well, especially since I'm not a Doctor."

Loki stood up straight and studied her face carefully. Lillia felt herself begin to blush, and she wondered if meeting him again was a coincidence or if Loki chose her after hearing her translate in the museum. What was his last name? Was he head of this research facility? Was he an administrator? Some kind of Dean of antiquities perhaps?

"I just wanted to take a look at the tablets, see what I'm up against. I'm not really an expert; I'm actually not sure why I'm here. I'm certainly not the best person for this job. I'm not really qualified and I certainly don't have the necessary degree." She wasn't sure what made her be so honest with Loki, but his stare changed as she admitted her hesitation.

"I selected you because I can trust you to do the job without getting in the way of the big picture." Of course he could always use his scepter to control her mind; with Dr. Selvig it had been extremely easy.

"Okay, what is the big picture, and how can I avoid getting in the way of it?" She said it almost like a joke to try and lighten the mood. This Loki character was always so serious.

"Let me show you the tablets, and your workspace." Loki had definitely avoided her question, but he was very polite in showing her around the lab, and she discovered the lab was stocked with the best research articles and translation materials available.

Lillia spotted a book that she heard about many times, but had never seen, "Is this Dr. Ghali's book on Egypt's first dynasty?" Loki turned to where her finger was pointing. "Yes, it is."

"I thought there was only one copy of this book. Isn't it stored in the library at Alexandria?"

"Well done. You know your history; it was at the library in Alexandria. They've loaned it to us for the time being."

Lillia was even more excited than before. How could this be happening to her, it was like a dream come true!

"Well this a treat for me, I'd never thought I would be able use this book; not in a million years." She knew she had a big grin on her face, but she couldn't help it.

Loki began smiling back, "I'm glad you find our resources to your liking."

"Of course, I feel so lucky to be a part of this project. I don't know why you are letting me attempt to crack the code, but I'm so thankful that you did. I can't wait to get started this Saturday."

Lillia made a mental note to study that book carefully once she was alone in the lab. She may never have an opportunity to see it again. She still hadn't made her way to the tablets; Loki was blocking them with his body…his beautiful body.

"I wanted to talk to you about working down here on weekends. We'd like to offer you a hotel room to use on Friday and Saturday nights, if you were planning to work the entire weekend. There is a Marriot right across the street; it might be easier for you. The room would be paid for, this way you won't have to drive back and forth."

Okay, Lillia had to be dreaming now. Why were they treating her so well? She hadn't even begun work, what if she couldn't do it? Well they would just fire her, and she could say goodbye to the hotel room and the $32.00 an hour.

"Wow that is very generous of you, thank you! I think I'll probably just be staying Friday night. I'd really only like to work on this on Saturdays if possible? You see I have another job that requires me to grade papers and plan on Sunday."

"Certainly, that is fine. I hope this second job still leaves you with enough time off?"

"It should be alright, this second job isn't permanent. Dr. Selvig told me that the translation should take 6 months maybe?"

"That depends on what you find in the inscriptions Miss Middleston." As Loki said that he stepped towards the tablets waving his hand for her to join him.

Lillia saw four stone tablets filled with inscriptions. As she looked at the symbols she began to panic. Only one in five symbols was at all familiar to her; although the patterns were definitely Sumerian in origin. This was going to absolutely take a few months to translate. She pulled out her notebook and began taking notes. She would need to determine if the four tablets were meant to be read in a certain order, or if each one was separate.

"You really are very enchanting while you scribble feverishly in your notebook."

Loki regretted saying it as soon as it was out of his mouth. In Asgard he never wanted for women. They threw themselves at his feet. He was a very skilled lover, but he would have never considered taking a midgardian woman into his bed. Certainly he was just feeling desperate; it had been over 2 years.

Lillia blushed again, and didn't know whether she should close her notebook or not.

"I always imagined I looked like a crazy person when I'm writing like that." She had almost forgotten Loki was there, the tablets were just so interesting.

Loki noticed that every time he complimented her she blushed; and this excited him.

"You looked just fine." Loki let his eyes wander to her breasts, before meeting her eyes again.

Lillia hiccupped, "T-thank you." She didn't know how to respond to him for two reasons. One, she didn't know what his position was at the university. She didn't know if she would be working with him often. Two, how should she respond to his compliments? It was best to be a lady, "You are too kind to compliment me, a boost to the self-confidence… Well it's getting late; I should probably head back home. But thank you for letting me see the tablets, and for giving me this opportunity to work on such an important piece of history."

"Of course, we are expecting great things from you Miss Middleston. I'll walk you out."

Loki led her into the elevators, and to her surprise he stepped in with her.

"Are you going to walk me all the way out?"

"Yes, it's late and I want to make sure you arrive safely to your vehicle." He had turned those beautiful eyes towards her. She could once again smell his perfect scent, a mix of flame and frost.

Lillia decided to take a risk and give him a compliment back.

"You have been so kind, but I find it hard to concentrate let alone walk when you look at me that way." She then stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the door. She left Loki staring after her as the doors closed.

Loki had underestimated her, she was gutsy after all. He was pleased that she was attracted to him; he might be able to use it to his advantage later.

Lillia wasn't going to be intimidated by Loki anymore; she only hoped it wouldn't affect this new opportunity. She was usually very outgoing and flirty. Why had it been so difficult to flirt back with this stranger? It was very chilly out and even though it was only 5:30 the sun had gone down. She wasn't parked far away, and it was nice of him to offer to walk her to the car but he didn't even have a coat on. It was cold and she wanted to enjoy walking in the brisk air alone.

What Lillia didn't know was that she wasn't walking alone. He was invisible and was walking 15 feet away from her. She was walking quickly, but she was smiling. Her whole face just went for it. Her smile was truly bewitching. She was also sniffing the air, and then she started skipping a bit; like a child. Usually Loki found behavior like this distasteful of adults, but _she_ was different. She walked to a red Mazda 6 and unlocked the doors. She stopped just before getting into the car, and turned to look right where Loki was walking. He stopped quickly. Had she heard him? He was usually flawless at moving silently. Almost as soon as she paused, she shrugged her shoulders and got into her vehicle.

He watched her drive away, and was almost disgusted at himself. He had never before entertained the idea of being attracted to a midgardian before. They were so far beneath him; he was a God after all. Lillia Middleston behaved so differently, so unlike most midgardians. She was beautiful, exotic, intelligent, and quick witted. Maybe he could make one exception.


	4. Chapter 4

The Darkness of Love

Chapter 4

Lillia took one last look in the mirror before she left her home. She was packed and ready to spend a few hours with the tablets. She wondered if she'd see Loki there on a Friday night; probably not. He would be off work by then, and all the effort she put into dolling herself up would go to waste. She was wearing her favorite black turtle neck. It was very form fitting and hugged her curves just right. She was rocking her favorite pair of skinny jeans; and knee high boots. She wore long sea shell earrings and had curled her hair just perfectly. Luckily there was no snow on the road and she planned to arrive into the lab in T-minus 55 minutes.

As she walked into the building (using her fancy new security badge) she thought about what a nice room the university had gotten her. It was a suite with a kitchen, king sized bed and came with complimentary wine. It was obvious that this wasn't the average hotel room. She wondered if Loki had anything to do with the room being so nice. It even smelled better than the average hotel room. It smelled like fresh linens, not bleached ones. There was also a small hint of spiced pumpkin in the air, but it smelled natural; not like an air freshener.

The university building was darkened with only the evening lights on. She sighed; she knew that Loki wouldn't be here, why was she feeling disappointed? She wasn't here to flirt, she was here to work. She shrugged her shoulders and walked towards the lab.

She flicked on the lights, and walked over to the desk to put her things down and noticed a note on the keyboard. It read _Good luck with your research; I hope your accommodations are adequate_. It was signed by Loki. That made her heart flutter a little. This was definitely flirting, and she wondered if she'd see him at all during her weekend research. Instead of letting her mind wander about what it would be like to kiss Loki she decided to get to work. She sat down with her notebook in front of the tablets and made a list of things she could decipher, things she couldn't, and the books she would need.

Lillia had been working for a while, so she looked towards the clock and saw that it was 8:30. No wonder she was hungry she hadn't had supper yet, and had been working for almost three hours. Even after all this time the only things that she could tell was that the tablets were related. She knew some of the symbols, but couldn't figure out the rest. She located about half of the books that she needed, and had composed a list of the others. She was googling a restaurant near her hotel when she saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to see Loki coming into the lab. She was instantly happy to see him, especially considering how he looked. Tonight he was wearing a black suit with a shiny blue tie. The tie was the color of his eyes. As usual he looked like a model. She was sure she was dreaming until she heard him speak.

"Good evening Miss Middleston, working rather late aren't we?" He smiled when he said it, though she could tell he was pleased to see her.

"I wanted to get started. I got too excited to wait until tomorrow. What are you doing here so late? I didn't know where your office was or I would have come in to say hello."

"I was working on something else, I had a feeling you might be here."

At that moment Lillia's stomach began rumbling in protest at not being fed. Not again! Every time she was around Loki she was making gastrointestinal noises.

"I came to invite you to supper. It sounds as though you haven't eaten yet."

Lillia was blushing again, she was so excited. He was looking at her so deeply and sincerely. She hoped her gurgling stomach hadn't grossed him out.

"I'd love to! I'm afraid I don't know Denver that well, where should we go? Should we take my car or yours?" She smiled brightly at him and began to gather her things.

Luckily Loki had already picked out a restaurant, because her smile was once again enchanting him. He felt his pulse quicken, and he had the sudden desire to throw her onto the desk. He could imagine her soft pink lips on his mouth; he would peel those tight jeans off and make her beg him to stop.

"I have a driver, we'll take my limousine. There is already a reservation made at Marlowe's."

Lilli was impressed, he must be high up at this university to be able to afford a driver. Was this reservation just for him, or did he anticipate seeing her tonight?

"Is there a dress code at this restaurant? If so I have something more appropriate back at the hotel." Lillia secretly hoped there was a dress code; she packed the perfect dress just in case! "We'll stop by your hotel so you can change." Loki was astonished at how this midgardian woman was making him feel so accommodating. She was just so beautiful, and watching her work had aroused him greatly. Of course he had been spying on her. Most midgardians looked stupid when they were working hard, like watching an ape trying to figure out a puzzle. Lillia just looked intense. She was very quick and brilliant, nothing like an ape. She had already deciphered more than Dr. Selvig was able to in two weeks. She had a magnificent mind. Loki should just use his scepter on her; his tablets would get translated much faster. For some reason he couldn't bring himself to do it. He wanted to get to know her better; after all he could always use the scepter if things became too difficult.

Loki and Lillia walked out of the building and as promised a limo awaited them. It was black, new, shiny and came with a driver who was holding the door open for her. The driver was smiling, but he seemed odd. He also had very blue eyes like Dr. Selvig, they seemed almost too bright.

"I've never been in a limousine before" Said Lillia, shooting Loki with another flashy smile.

"I assure you it is nothing special, but I do hope you like it." Loki slid in next to her and gave the driver the address. The limo pulled away towards the main road. If only Lillia knew the transportation accommodations on Asgard. Snow white stallions drawing a gilded carriage replete with fresh fruit and wine; there was nothing like it.

What Lillia also didn't know was that the entire building that she was working in was in fact an old storage unit for the university. It was practically condemned, but Loki's magic was making it appear to be a legitimate lab. All of the people in the building were illusions, except for Dr. Selvig, the security and Loki. Everyone else was a trick to play upon Lillia's mind.

"May I ask what your position is at the university?" Lillia hoped she wasn't being rude, but she still had no idea how Loki was related to this project.

"I sit on the board of directors, I always oversee the department of antiquities; it's a hobby of mine."

"I see, and what is a board member doing working at 8:30 on a Friday night?"

"That would be part of the bigger picture, and you haven't high enough security clearance for me to be sharing that with you." His tone was almost icy, and his eyes gave her a warning to change the conversation.

"I didn't mean to pry, I'm sorry. Ummm how did you know that I was working in the lab this late?" She was trying to find out if he had met up with her by accident or whether he had stopped into the lab on purpose.

His stare melted immediately and Loki felt sorry for making her feel as though she'd done something wrong. His ego chided him, why should he feel sorry? She was a simple midgardian who had no business interfering with his glorious purpose. He would be her King very soon, and she would be kneeling before him recognizing his superiority and grateful at having her life spared.

He couldn't afford to chase her away either, so he'd better try and repair the conversation. He needed her mind to finish the translations. After that was complete, he could treat her however he wished.

"Forgive my tone; I have a lot on my mind." He sighed at this, he had been patient for so long and now he was so close. He wished Lillia would work on the tablets every day; they were the last roadblock to his imminent victory.

"I always check on the tablets before I leave for the evening, it was only a pleasant surprise to run in to you." He was lying to her, but he couldn't very well let her know the truth. Was he supposed to tell her he really was the Norse God Loki? That he was invisible and watching her the entire time? That he could enter and exit rooms without midgardians noticing? Not likely.

"I hope I'm not imposing on your dinner plans?"

"Of course not, there should be room for us at the restaurant; it is almost 9:00 after all."

They pulled up to her hotel, and Loki instructed her to wait in the car while he walked around and opened the door for her. As he guided her to the elevators he told her he would be waiting in the hotel lounge.

Lillia did not want to keep him waiting, plus she was very hungry. She rushed down the plush carpeted hallway to her room. Luckily her hair was still perfect and her make up only needed minor touch ups. She wore her hair curled, with half of it swept up in romantic tendrils. She clipped a small fake plum colored flower onto the side of her hair. She slipped into a sexy pink lace thong with a matching bra. She slid her dress on; it was satin and was the color of a sugared plum. It shimmered and hung with narrowing straps from the shoulder. It had a cowl neckline with gold glitter on it. It hugged her hips and buttocks tight, and stopped at her upper thighs. There was ruching on the backside giving her behind a beautiful heart shape. She wore a simple gold and plum colored choker, and slipped into her fabulous gold high heels. Since it was winter she was wearing pantyhose, but it only helped to make her look like she was glowing. Her legs were always her strongest feature and this dress definitely showed them off. She sprayed on her favorite perfume, "Flora" by Gucci, and headed down to meet Loki.

Loki was waiting in the lounge pondering his relationship with this midgardian woman when he saw her enter the lounge. She looked like a queen. She was wearing heels and it made her taller than every other woman in the room. The dress hung from her elegant shoulders, and was loose on the top. The bottom half of the dress was tight on her hips and thighs. Her hair was magnificent; thick golden curls were swept up to the side with wispy curls falling on her long graceful neck. She moved with such elegance despite the height of the heels. Most midgardian women clunked and walked awkwardly in heels that high. Lillia walked as if she were floating, as if the heels were only an extension of her lusciously long legs. Asgardian women tended to be more voluptuous, while Lillia was quite thin. She looked more like the carvings of the old faery princesses that his father kept in his glass cabinet. Tall thin, wispy but very sensual and Lillia was the spitting image.

She was searching for him in the room, and he let her look for a little while longer so he could admire her. He let her walk by him so he could see the dress in it's entirety. The curve of her backside was displayed so perfectly that Loki had visions of leading her back upstairs and taking her from behind. Before she got too far away he brushed her shoulder with his hand and she turned to show him the brilliance of her smile.

"Miss Middleston," said Loki kissing her hand once again "You look entirely mesmerizing."

Lillia's heart was pounding, and she finally felt that she matched his level of sophistication. Once again she smelled his perfect scent, ice cubes in hot tea.

"Thank you Loki, might I say that you always look mesmerizing."

Loki gave her a small smile and said, "Tonight all eyes will be on you, everything about you is exquisite."

At that he took her arm and led her back to the limo.


	5. Chapter 5

The Darkness of Love

Marlowe's was located in the heart of Downtown Denver; it was lit by candles and soft lamps. It was a fancy restaurant and Lillia was glad that she had changed into her dress. Nat King Cole was playing in the background as they were escorted to a private room with a fireplace. Loki ordered a $300.00 bottle of Silver Oak wine and turned his penetrating stare towards her. "Lillia, tell me about the tablets, is everything going well so far?"

"So far I think things are going fine. I have established that the tablets are to be read together, each one connects to the other somehow. I have written it all in my official lab notes, if you ever want to read the details. They are Sumerian, but I am lacking in a few books that could help."

"You can give the list to Dr. Selvig; there is a box outside his office door. Leave it there and he will take care of all necessary materials. Do you have any idea how long it will take to finish the translations?"

Lillia was very excited to talk about her work, but she hoped her honest answers weren't disappointing to him. "I can't say for sure, but I'm thinking it might be 3 or 4 months."

The closest estimate Dr. Selvig could promise was 6-8 months, if this mortal could decipher the code before spring Loki would be back on schedule. He felt elated at the news; let's hope she was able to deliver.

"Tell me about your life outside of translating hieroglyphics." Loki was staring intently at her again. It was strange but when he looked at her like that she felt entranced. She felt like he could command her to do anything and she would obey. His gaze was mesmerizing, and Lillia felt a bit dizzy with excitement.

"Well I'm a high school teacher as you know; I very much enjoy my job. It is a lot of work, but it's worth it. I love to run and spend most weekends hiking or snowshoeing in the mountains." Her answer sounded like a scripted line from a dating show…I suppose she also likes long walks on the beach.

"You enjoy the outdoors then?"

"Yes, very much. If I could spend three or four days a week outside I'd be a happy camper. I'm also very dichotomous because I love going to the opera, the ballet or any good theater really. In that sense I'm a total in-door nerdy girl type."

"You do not strike me as a "nerd" at all. In fact quite the opposite, I hate that intelligence is always coupled with social awkwardness." On this planet anyways, Asgardians knew to value both traditional and Machiavellian intelligence.

"Tell me about your life Loki, how did you get to be on the board?"

"I was a professor myself once, but not of hieroglyphics. I found folk religions, legends and God worship much more fascinating. Over the years I took on more and more administrative responsibility and now I've been elected in." He was such a convincing liar. What he had done was steal the tablets from Oxford University and bring them to Colorado, the location where his plan could be fully carried out. He had used his scepter to control the mind of Dr. Selvig and a few dozen others. What he hadn't been able to do was find anyone who could decipher the tablets. He needed them to tell him the location of the teseract, and to tell him how to use it in this world. He expected to find at least one mortal who could figure it out, but he did not expect to meet someone like Lillia.

They spent the rest of supper enjoying friendly conversation, Loki was careful to keep Lillia's wine glass full and keep her talking about herself. She had been both a cheerleader and a drum major for the marching band. She spoke several languages and had been an outdoor Shakespearean actress. She looked like an actress, not so much like a school teacher. In her short amount of time on this planet she had managed to do so much. Loki was impressed and captivated at the things Lillia liked to do. Turns out she was quite a sword fighter, and had been to several competitions. The conversation flowed easily, and they left the restaurant cozily arm in arm.

The limousine pulled up to her hotel, and Lillia despite being tipsy felt nervous. Should she invite him up, would they kiss, he was technically her boss, was this unethical? Was this a date?

Luckily Loki broke the silence for her.

"Lillia you are an incredible woman, thank you for joining me this evening."

"Thank you for taking me in a limo to such a wonderful restaurant, I'm spoiled rotten now." She laughed jokingly at the last part. She was still smiling when Loki leaned in close to her face.

"I'm really not supposed to be initiating a romantic relationship, as I'm your superior." His words contradicted with his behavior. He had his arm stretched out behind her head, resting on the seat, and his free hand was stroking her cheek. All Lillia managed to say was, "I was wondering if we were being…unethical."

Loki laughed at this

"Damn ethics" his fingers slid under her jaw and moved her face towards his. His breathe smelled fresh and warm as his lips gently caressed hers. His tongue parted her lips and it danced lighted around the inside of her mouth. She put her hands on his shoulders; they were broad and felt very strong. She kissed him back, and before long they were making out like seasoned lovers. Loki let his hand slide down Lillia's neck, caressing her soft skin. His hand was just above her breasts and moving south.

Lillia had a split second to decide how far she wanted this to go. He was her boss; she was trying to make a name for herself. She wasn't going to be the girl who sucked and fucked her way to the top.

She grabbed his hand before he made it to her breast, and she expected Loki to stop kissing her.

Loki had never been denied by any woman before; it was utterly humiliating that a midgardian female would spurn his advances. He could easily have his way with her. Unfortunately he needed her, and rape might not be the best way to ensure that she finish translating his tablets.

Lillia was momentarily frightened; as she grabbed Loki's hand to stop him he kissed her harder. He also ignored her hand and placed his on her sternum pushing her hard against the seat of the limo. It seemed as though he wasn't going to let her decide how far to take it. Just before she could panic he stopped and removed his mouth form hers.

"I apologize…I admit, I'm not used to being rejected." Lillia noticed that his beautiful jaw line was clenched, like he was angry.

"It's not that I don't want to, I very badly do. I just don't want you to think I'm a slut, nor have other people at the lab speaking poorly of me."

Loki looked exasperated. "This damn puritanical country, who cares if we fornicate? I would think nothing less of you. In fact you've charmed me with your mind already. That is why I've become attracted to you in the first place." Loki was shocked at his own admission. He would have never thought in a million years that he would be interested in a midgardian. He still wanted her desperately, and he would have her one way or another when the time was right. Perhaps he should use his scepter on her now, things were becoming complicated.

"I hope I didn't ruin everything…but you should respect my decision nonetheless." She didn't sound angry, just very calm and collected. She looked at him waiting for a response.

Complicated midgardian women, damn them all. "No you didn't ruin a thing. I hope you will still allow me to escort you inside the hotel?" He wouldn't admit it to himself, but he didn't want to use his scepter on her.

"Of course Loki." Lillia would have liked to thank the driver, but the window separating them was closed and tinted. As Loki led her towards the elevators he asked if she would be willing to join him for dinner tomorrow night. Feeling relieved that she hadn't ruined her chances with Loki Lillia agreed on the condition that they go somewhere less fancy; she was out of dresses. Loki kissed her cheek before leaving and whispered in her ear. "Pleasant dreams faery princess."

That night Lillia dreamed of Loki. He was fucking her hard, and his hands were holding her wrists above her head. She was thoroughly enjoying the feeling of his stiff cock ramming inside her over and over again, but she was screaming to him. She was begging him to stop, but he kept on as if she were silent. She tried to move her hands, but he was too strong. She saw the tablets above the bed on the ceiling, they were falling towards them. She knew she was going to die if she couldn't get Loki to move. Just before the tablets crushed them both she woke up.


	6. Chapter 6

The Darkness of Love

Lillia was thinking of Loki, and how she didn't give a damn if she would be considered a whore. She wanted him badly. They had agreed that Loki would pick her up at the hotel at 5:30. This meant she had to work for another hour before being able to see him again. She was wearing a lavender sweater, pearls and a nice pair of trouser pants. She hoped this was dressy enough for Loki; she didn't have any more clothes. She would be heading back home tomorrow morning.

When she went back to her room to freshen up, she saw that there was a delivery hanging on the closet door. It was a dress bag. The dress inside was emerald green. It was a full length gown, but had two high slits on each side. It was strapless and had a low back. She didn't have a bra to wear with this dress. Oh well, it might be more comfortable that way. She was self-conscious about her breasts. They were smaller than most women's. They were incredibly perky and beautifully shaped; but they were still small. In a culture that valued super-sized plastic surgery Lillia always felt more like a teenager than a woman.

She put the dress on and was surprised that there was enough lift and lining that her breasts swelled over the sweetheart cut. Her back was completely exposed so she decided to wear her hair in an up-do. She had a sleek straight back, why not show it off? She was able to pair the same gold shoes from the night before with the emerald gown, but she hadn't any jewelry to match. She was pondering what to wear when she heard a knock on the door.

She opened the door she to see Loki standing with a dozen white calla lilies in his arms. He was wearing a black suit with a green tie that matched her gown. He had a long black wool coat on, and a leering look on his face.

"Miss Middelston, you are utterly breath taking." He kissed her hand and stepped into her hotel room. He gave her the lilies; did she tell him those were her favorite flowers?

He took in her appearance as one would take in the flavor of a fine wine. Lillia could tell that he thought she looked hot in the dress.

"Thank you Loki, for the dress and the flowers, now you really are spoiling me. I assume we are not going to a casual restaurant?"

"Keen observation," said Loki jokingly. He was smiling at her, the dress was perfect.

"How did you know what size of dress to get?" Lillia asked.

"I didn't know your size, but the boutique only had a size 2 left. I took a gamble that it would fit." Loki had actually sent one of his mind controlled servants to find out Lillia's dress size and report back to him.

"The dress fits perfectly, thank you again." Lillia was about to get her purse so they could leave.

"Before we leave, I have one last gift for you." Loki pulled out a rectangular shaped velvet box. Lillia recognized it instantly as a jewelry box. It had to be a necklace or a bracelet.

"Loki, you are being too generous. I feel like you are spending way too much money on me. After all we just started seeing each other." Lillia was trying to sound grateful, but this was almost too much.

Loki cocked his head to the side as he opened the box.

"I do not mean to embarrass you, but I was clearing my head with a walk this afternoon when I saw this in the window of a fine jeweler named _Cartier_. I knew instantly that it had to be worn with that gown. Remember dear one, I do not want for money. These gifts are my chocolates and flowers."

Lillia was shocked, he bought her something from Cartier? Money certainly wasn't an object if he was able to spend that kind of money on a new dating partner. The box was opened but she couldn't see what was inside, she was delighted and no longer felt too weird about accepting his gift. He was looking at her with those crystal eyes again. She felt like time stopped, and she had to force herself to speak.

"You already brought me flowers, but I will accept your gift. I don't want to sound unappreciative, I really am happy to be treated like a princess. I've just never dated anyone who had the means to purchase things like this."

Loki flashed her a smile and turned the box so she could see what it contained. It was a silver necklace with emerald gems. It had three interspersed silver threads each ending with a brilliant emerald. There were 5 total, and it looked like a piece of jewelry out of Lord of the Rings.

"Turn around," said Loki indicating the mirror.

Lillia obeyed and watched Loki walk up behind her. She could feel his body brushing her shoulders and her bottom. She could smell his scent, and she loved it. He never wore cologne, but his natural smell was a combination of all her favorite aromas. He smelled vaguely like crisp amber, or muted sandalwood; in any case it was intoxicating. He gently placed the necklace around her neck and fastened the clasp. It was the most impressive piece of jewelry she had ever worn! He stayed behind her and left his hands on her shoulders. Even in heels Loki was four inches taller than her, and being this close to him made Lillia's heart skip a beat.

"You truly look like a queen Lillia." Loki knew his mother would approve, she was always more sympathetic towards midgardians.

"I feel like one! Loki, you have been so wonderful to me. I feel so lucky to be…are we officially dating? If so than I feel so lucky to be dating you." Damnit, Lillia could never say a full sentence without sounding like an idiot. He's comparing her to a queen and she's checking in on their relationship status.

"I believe we are official" Loki purred into her ear.

Lillia smiled back at Loki. He was always so gracious with her weirdness. Loki let his hands slide down her arms to her waist. He began kissing her neck, sending shivers up her spine. Lillia was instantly aroused, and she felt herself getting wet between her legs. She tilted her head to the side giving Loki more skin to kiss. She placed her hands on his, and gave a moan of satisfaction.

Loki whispered in her ear, "If you make sounds like that for kissing, I wonder what sounds you'd make if I were inside you."

Lillia could feel his member growing hard and pressing into her backside. The thought of him inside her excited her to the point that she moaned again. "I wonder what sounds you could get out of me." Lillia hoped her sexy talk was alright. She was becoming so aroused that her inner voice was being drowned out by her slutty sex-happy voice.

Loki pulled her against him and soon they were kissing. He let his hands roam up her dress to cup her breasts. Her nipples hardened, and Loki pulled the dress down to free them with a springy pop.

Lillia wanted to turn towards Loki, but he pulled her even tighter to his body. He began to unzip the dress that she had put on minutes ago.

As he pulled the zipper to the end of it's length the dress fell to the floor in a pool of shimmery green at her feet. She was standing in front of a full length mirror wearing heels, a thong and the Elvish necklace. Loki used one hand to knead her breast and let the other wander down to her moist sex. He parted her, and began using his middle finger to rub her clitoris. This made Lillia even wetter, he knew exactly what to do.

He slid one finger inside her, and Lillia moaned even louder. He found her g-spot instantly and began stroking his finger in and out. As Lillia was preparing to climax Loki stopped, "Not yet sexy vixen." He slid her underwear off, and turned Lillia around to face him. While Lillia undid his tie and shirt Loki took off his shoes and pants. He had a chiseled chest, broad shoulders and a very large cock. Lillia was taken aback; she had never been with a man this size before.

Loki pulled her arms around his neck and lifted her off of her feet. He carried her to the bed and laid her down as if she weighed no more than a child.

Lillia wanted to have sex with Loki very badly, but she didn't have any condoms. She was on birth control but, seeing as neither of them were virgins she would like some protection. How could she be thinking this? Damn her responsible mind.

"Loki, do you have a condom with you?" Lillia asked him as he laid her down.

"I sincerely hope you believe me when I say that I am clean" Loki didn't think he could handle rejection at this late juncture. He was willing her with his eyes to believe that he was safe. Of course Asgardians can get diseases, but Loki had been inoculated against all of them. Midgardian diseases couldn't touch him; not that he'd ever bedded a Midgardian before.

Lillia was willing to take the risk; she smiled at him and nodded her head. Suddenly she was shy; and she was worried that she had somehow spoiled the mood.

Loki sensing her apprehension stroked her cheek and kissed her softly. Within moments Lillia was ready. How could this man arouse her so quickly? She usually had multiple orgasms, and she wondered how many this man Loki could give her tonight.

Loki lay between her legs carrying his weight on his arms. He placed his cock at her entrance and slowly slid inside. Lillia felt pleasantly stretched, he was thicker than most men. As soon as his head was inside Loki gave a small sigh.

"You are very tight, have you been touched before?"

Lillia could barely speak, she was enjoying the sensation of being stretched and parted. "Yes, you are just larger than my previous partners."

"Am I hurting you?"

"A little pain can be pleasurable."

Loki gave a mischievous smile, "Indeed."

At that he grabbed her wrists and pulled them over her head. She could no longer move her arms, and she liked it. He slid the full length of himself inside her and she gave a little yelp, which turned to a moan. No man had ever been so deep in her. She was fully stretched and fully penetrated. It was wreaking havoc on her pleasure sensors.

Loki held her wrists together with one hand and with the other he cupped her bottom. He moved slowly at first, until her moans were quickening. She wanted to cum, but he was teasing her. He finally began moving his hips faster and faster. Lillia's heart was racing and her moans were becoming screams.

"Oh God, Loki! I'm going to cum!"

Loki's eyes were fierce as he pounded her harder and harder.

Lillia couldn't tell whether it was pain, pleasure or both; she had never been rogered like this before. She was practically yelling now, the sensation was building. Loki slammed into her one last time and she felt her release. It was like the breaking of a large wave on solid rock. Her orgasm seemed to last an eternity, and she quivered in Loki's strong arms. As she surfaced from her little death she caught Loki's eyes.

"I'm not finished with you yet, faery princess."

Loki slid out of her and released her wrists. She hadn't noticed, but her hands were a bit numb. He flipped her over onto her stomach, and pulled her hips up with his strong hands. Then they were on her shoulders as he entered her from behind, Lillia gasped as she was brought to orgasm again. Loki wrapped his fist in her hair, although he never pulled hard; just enough so that Lillia could arch her back and bring her neck up. Loki was kissing her neck again as he was sliding in and out of her. She was panting, and wasn't sure if she wanted to beg him for more or beg him to stop. As she finished her third orgasm Loki paused and whispered in her ear, "I want to see that pretty face when I give you my release." As he exited her slowly he lay down on the bed. He pulled Lillia to him so she straddled his beautifully shaped body.

Lillia sank onto his perfect shaft and once again felt herself stretched to capacity. She gave a sigh and started riding Loki slowly and seductively. She ran her hands up his chest and leaned in slowly to kiss the neck of the man she had met only a month ago. He smelled so perfect, everything about him was so perfect.

Loki was cupping her backside and rocking his hips in motion with hers. The sensation was building again, it seemed as though Loki's cock was positioned just right to hit her g-spot over and over again. She was rocking her hips harder and harder, and she could feel her breasts bouncing wildly. Loki grabbed Lillia's hands, and pulled her closer to him. He began bucking his own hips so that he was fully sheathed, and very deep inside her.

"Loki, I'm going to cum again! Yes, yes; that feels so good!." The words were spilling out of Lillia's mouth, she hadn't planned on saying that. Loki was silent, but his eyes answered her cries. He gave her a pirate's smile and quickened his tempo. She felt her cervix tighten in anticipation; and then she was cumming again. She came so hard that she thought she was going to push him out of her.

She was panting at this point, "Loki, I don't think I've ever cum like that. I…don't know if I can take anymore, but I don't want to stop."

"I wasn't planning on stopping just yet." Loki said this with a smile in his eyes, but his face was serious and intense. He rolled her over so she was on her back again. He wrapped his arms underneath her thighs and lifted her hips up to meet his. This time he was sliding his cock in and out slowly, and he wasn't penetrating her fully. He did like to tease her. What Loki succeeded in doing was arousing Lillia to the point that she felt desperate to orgasm again; but he wasn't going hard or fast enough.

"Loki, please." She was pleading with him to give her another orgasm.

He lowered his chin, and gave her a mischievous grin. "I like hearing you moan, but you're right. It's better when you scream." He leaned down and wrapped his arms around her back. She felt herself being lifted off the bed, but Loki was still inside her. He was carrying her over to the mirror. He pressed her against the mirror and started moving his hips quicker and quicker. Loki grabbed her wrists with one hand and held them above her head. With his other hand he was cupping her bottom. His rhythm became quicker and quicker. Lillia's heart raced and she realized that she had never been so wet, or more aroused while making love. Her vagina was wrapped tight around his penis, and she let herself go. She was panting, and screaming. She wasn't even sure if she said anything, but she knew whatever it was it must be quite loud. He was fucking her so hard she felt like she couldn't hold on, and worried they might shatter the mirror.

"Lillia, look at me." Loki commanded.

"Lillia opened her eyes, and saw just how blue his own were. Like an ancient glacier with ocean water trapped inside.

Loki brought his face close to hers, and he never broke eye contact.

This, along with his strong hips caused Lillia to have the best orgasm of her life. Time stopped, and Lillia could count the seconds between the beats of her heart. Her whole body shivered, and at the moment of her release she realized that she felt the orgasm tremor through her whole nervous system. Every cell in her body had been pleasured, exhausted and pleasured again. This time, it was like a Tsunami breaking against the Himalayas; each drop of water filled with pure decadent satisfaction. So this was why the French referred to it as, "little death." She had been blown out to sea, washed up and been taken into a tornado. She had never felt better.

Lillia noticed something else in her moment of timelessness. Loki was cumming as well. She felt the final thrust of his cock as his head hit the back of her. She felt herself fill with his warm semen. As she was eroding the Himalayas Loki was spilling his seed. She hadn't realized that she had closed her eyes, but when she opened them she saw that Loki was still looking at her. As his own orgasm subsided he lowered his gaze and closed his eyes. He relaxed his grip on her wrists, and Lillia brought her hand down to stroke his face. He gave a soft moan, and she knew the tension had gone out of his body as well.

Lillia wanted to say something, but all she could do was stare into his carefully carved face.

With the utmost care and gentleness Loki slid out of her, and carried her back to the bed. He lay down beside her and pulled her close to him. She lay her head on his chest, and felt like everything was perfect in the world. Loki was stroking her back with his free hand.

Lillia had to break the silence, how could she share something so physically passionate with this man and then shy away from expressing herself verbally.

"I didn't know it could be like that." She blushed anyway.

"Neither did I." He kissed the top of her head.

After a few more minutes of holding each other Lillia lifted her head to look into his eyes.

"Did you know this was going to happen tonight?"

Loki nodded his head in affirmation, "I hoped that it would. I've been lusting after you since the day I saw your smile at the museum."

"That was only a month ago! I admit I've been thinking about you as well." Lillia smiled at him.

"I'm not used to waiting that long for what I want, but you were well worth the wait." Loki had no idea Midgardian women could be like this. Maybe that was why Thor was so interested in that Jane woman.

Lillia leaned up to give him a quick kiss, and once again her stomach began rumbling. Of course! They had skipped their dinner plans to have sex and now she was ravenous.

"Hungry again are we?" Loki asked with a smile to his voice.

"How humiliating! I promise my stomach doesn't usually make noises this often!"

Loki couldn't help but chuckle. He realized that it had been over two years since he had laughed. His ego cautioned him against getting distracted by this woman.

"It hasn't escaped my notice that I often keep you from eating regular meals." He glanced at the clock, "I think the restaurant I was planning to take you to is now closed. Shall we order room service?"


	7. Chapter 7

***Please feel free to review the story, any feedback would be appreciated!***

The Darkness of Love

They sat in bed under the covers eating chicken sandwiches, fries and a fruit platter from the room service menu. Lillia finally felt comfortable enough to ask whether she had been invited to work with the tablets by accident or if Loki had selected her on purpose.

"Both really. I already had your name from professor Morales before I saw you at the museum. After meeting you I realized you were the same person that he recommended. Lucky coincidence I guess."

He smiled at her, "How did your work go today? I didn't have an opportunity to ask."

Lillia smiled back because she had some good news for Loki.

"Well I've had a bit of a break through. I was skimming through Dr. Ghali's book on the first dynasty when I read a chapter on Early Egyptian stories. There was a Sumerian poem that told the story of the apocalypse. The Egyptians translated the poem using their hieroglyphics but changed some of the words to make it more understandable in their language. The poem is inscribed on one of the tablets, and I think that is the tablet that we are supposed to read first. The poem only takes up half of the tablet, but I went ahead and wrote down the English translation in my notes."

"That is brilliant! Can you tell me roughly what the poem says?" Loki was once again staring intently at her. She only wished she could remember the poem word for word, but she couldn't.

"I'll have to paraphrase, but the poem talked about the future. When people of all races mix into one, and when all the lands are filled with multiplying people a dark force will come to earth. This man will bring a drought and then curse the world. It is said that he will freeze the earth, the water, the land, the sun…everything. It says the world can only be saved by one, but it doesn't say who. It's interesting because the poem clearly states that the world will brought to its knees by a man but the one who can save the world is a woman. Both the Sumerians and the Egyptians worshipped female Gods but to have the fate of the world rest upon the shoulders of a woman? I don't think I've ever seen that in any religion."

Lillia noticed that Loki's brows were drawn together and he looked deep in thought.

"Are you alright?" She had expected him to be pleased, but he seemed disappointed.

"Hmm? Yes, I was just wondering how this poem could be related to the other tablets. We thought the tablets would lead us to a burial, or perhaps an undiscovered city. To have a poem written with such care on such important stone seems quite trivial to me." Loki smiled, trying to reassure Lillia. He knew what the poem was talking about. It was foretelling his arrival to this world. Again this was not helpful information for his plan, but at least Lillia was making progress. It did worry him that the Sumerians thought he could be stopped by a female. So far all of the Sumerian prophecies had come true; he hoped this was a mistake. What woman could stand up to him? He was more powerful than anyone on this planet. He noticed that Lillia's smile was fading. She was obviously very proud of her accomplishment and he didn't want to invalidate her work.

"What a magnificent feat to translate half a tablet in one day! Dr. Selvig spent two weeks with those tablets and the only thing he could tell me was that they were Sumerian." He kissed her forehead, got out of bed and headed towards the kitchenette. He pulled down two wine glasses and found the complimentary bottle in the gift basket. "We should have a toast to celebrate!" He poured the wine and brought it back to Lillia in bed.

"You are right though, the stone that the tablets are made of is alabaster and that's very rare in Egypt. They must have believed the poem. To them it must have been real. I wonder then, if these tablets are just about their most precious religious beliefs?"

She realized that she was speculating and babbling. Loki was holding his wine glass up waiting for her to finish so he could make his toast.

"Sorry! I'll shut up now!" She blushed and held her glass up.

"I love hearing your voice, but I did want to toast you. To a wonderful lady, with the most beautiful mind I've ever seen." They toasted and drank.

The wine was deep and smoky. It had the after taste of chocolate and blackberries, but it was smooth. She loved drinking good wine. She closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. So far she was successfully translating the tablets, she was making extra money, was falling in love with the most mysterious man and now she was drinking fine wine after having had the best sex in her life. Life wasn't just good, it was fabulous.

"Mmmm, Loki this wine is absolutely delectable. The flavor is so strong yet subtle at the same time."

She glanced at Loki for his opinion.

"It's well done, the vintner obviously knows his trade." Loki wasn't sure if it was the wine going to his head or what was happening, but he was having very strong feelings for this woman. Suddenly he knew he was making a mistake. He could not allow this to happen again. Having feelings and a relationship with this midgardian would completely sideline him from his original purpose. She would only get in the way. What was he supposed to say when it was time to enslave her planet? Certainly she has a family and friends who would be killed. He can't allow himself to have feelings for her, she was going to be a peasant under his rule, and she was completely beneath him. He felt disgusted with himself, how foolish! To let a mortal woman lead him away from his destiny like this. He felt almost angry. He knew he must leave at once, but he still needed her until the tablets were translated.

He would have to cool things off without her being scared off of the project.

"Are you feeling alright Loki?" Lillia was looking concerned and began stroking his arm.

Loki pulled away from her touch. "No I'm not, I don't feel so well all of a sudden. I must leave." He was out of bed and putting on his clothes.

"Can I get you anything, maybe some water? Are you alright to travel? You do look pale all of a sudden." She leapt up and was heading to the kitchenette to get him some water.

Loki was almost annoyed at how sweet she was; _just let me go_ he thought.

"No, no I'm fine. I just need to get out of here." With that Loki threw his coat over his arm and left Lillia's hotel room with a soft click as the door slid into the latch.

Lillia was standing naked in the kitchen holding an empty glass, and the silence was deafening. What had she done wrong? Was it something she said? Everything seemed fine, more than fine. She had been so happy, and now she didn't know what was happening.

She felt hollow all of a sudden, and it seemed the best thing to do was clean up for bed. She put down the glass and walked towards her luggage. She pulled on her oversized t-shirt, and slid her underwear back on. She turned around and saw the green dress in a pool of shimmering emerald by the mirror. She looked at herself in the mirror and only then noticed she was still wearing the necklace.

What Loki saw from the balcony window was Lillia clutching the necklace in her hand while she sat on her knees and wept. She was shaking from crying, and her tears fell onto the green ball gown. She looked like a child, and her face was filled with such pain that Loki had to turn away. He felt himself choking up, and decided that this was a test of his worth. Ruling a world meant that tough decisions had to be made, and Loki wasn't going to be side-tracked by a simple Midgardian.


	8. Chapter 8

***Please feel free to review the story, I always welcome feedback! ***

The Darkness of Love

After having a good cry Lillia was able to finish picking up the hotel room. The dress was back in its bag, and she had no intention of taking it with her. The necklace was placed in the box sitting on the dresser. She packed for the morning drive back home. She thought about leaving immediately but she was too tired, and she had finished off the bottle of wine while tidying up.

That fucking bastard. Who did he think he was, he chased her; and now he leaves like she was the overly aggressive one?! She remembered him saying that he had never had to wait so long for a woman, but they had only known one another for a month. He just wanted to get laid, and basically paid for her with dinners, wine, dresses and that beautiful fucking necklace. She felt cheap and used…and pissed off. Fuck that man, his fancy gifts, and fuck those tablets. Well, she shouldn't blame the tablets, she still wanted to be the one to translate them. Why shouldn't she? She was hired by Dr. Selvig, not Loki. She would continue working on those tablets, and she would completely ignore Loki. She fell asleep with her fists balled around the sheets and an angry look on her face.

When she woke in the morning her jaw hurt from clenching it all night and she had a stomach ache. As she climbed out of bed she realized that she still smelled like Loki, and it still smelled good. She took her time in the shower, scrubbing away any trace of the man. Her vagina was sore and there were bruises on her wrists, but those would be gone soon enough. As she was shampooing her hair she felt guilty for reminiscing about the sex. It had been the best sex she'd ever had, why should she feel used? She scrubbed her scalp harder as she worked her hair into a lather. She decided that she wasn't going to feel bad about last night. What was done was done, and at least she had gotten off…several times. Just then some bubbles ran into her eyes. Shit, that burned! She hastily rinsed her eyes out, and decided she'd had just about enough of this shower too. It was time to get home.

He just should have been honest with her if he'd only wanted a fling. She probably wouldn't have gone for it, but still. As she packed the last of her things into the bag she was scolding herself for still thinking about it. It was over. She rolled her luggage to the door and did one last sweep of the hotel room to make sure she didn't leave anything behind. While she was checking the bathroom she heard a knock on her door.

Loki had spent the night in his usual room on the top floor of the laboratory. He was incredibly angry with himself because he didn't think Lillia would agree to finish her work after what he had done to her. He was supposed to have cooled things off gently. He just wasn't used to it; in his world he could be direct. He was the prince and sparing others feelings wasn't his strength nor was it necessary or expected. He had a brilliant mind for manipulation and strategy, why had it failed him? He would simply have to bring her back without leading her on. He could always use his scepter to enslave her mind if she wouldn't cooperate. It was decided; he would go to her in the morning. If she refused to continue working on the tablets he would use his scepter. It was more than irritating that he dreaded using it on her. He made preparations for the morning and tried to drive Lillia out of his mind. He finally fell asleep after he made a clear plan. He absolutely could not fail now.

Bright and early he went to the flower shop, and got the most beautiful bouquet of white roses. He bought some coffee at Dazbog and made sure the letters were in his pocket. After checking with the concierge that Lillia had not checked out yet he took the elevator to her room. He was usually calm in situations like this, but today his heart was pounding. He was excited to see her. He knocked on the door of her hotel room, and counted the seconds until he heard her footsteps on the other side.

When Lillia opened the door she found Loki looking splendid in black pants and a black sweater. He had roses, and a sad yet expectant look on his face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Lillia just couldn't filter her feelings at the moment.

Of course she would be angry, Loki was prepared for this. "I have no right to ask you to forgive my behavior, but I came to apologize anyway. I shouldn't have left you like that, I wish I could explain what came over me, but it hardly seems worth it when I know that I have hurt you so much." Loki didn't plan to say that last part, but it had slipped out of him. He lifted the roses towards her.

"I wanted you to ha-"

"I'm not interested in your roses, or your apology. I don't want anything more to do with you, but I am glad that you came by. I want you to know that I work for Dr. Selvig, and I will be translating those tablets. You should also know that outside of the translations I will have nothing to say to you." With that she slammed the door in his face.

She was shaking even though it felt good to tell Loki exactly what she thought. She saw through the peephole that Loki left something by the door and walked away. What did he leave? She knew she shouldn't care, but maybe she'd pick it up on the way out. Perhaps she was going to get fired and she could forget this whole ordeal. Her heart sunk at the thought. The truth was that she was more hurt by Loki's behavior than by having been had by the oldest trick in the book. She could usually tell the one night stand kind of guy from a mile away. Loki seemed genuine towards her, and she let herself get excited for him. None of it made sense, and she wished she knew what had set him off. But she couldn't dwell on this any longer, she had hours of grading and planning ahead of her. She waited a few more minutes just to make sure that she wouldn't run into Loki, and then she left the room with the same soft click of the door latching closed.


	9. Chapter 9

***Please feel free to review the story, I always welcome feedback! ***

The Darkness of Love

She made it until the Longmont exit before she had to pull over and read the note that Loki left by her door. It was written in beautiful calligraphy; of course Loki would have perfect handwriting. She stopped in the parking lot of the McDonalds right off of the highway. With shaking hands she opened the letter.

_Lillia,_

_I wrote dozens of letters last night trying to explain myself, to apologize and to beg you to continue working on the tablets. Since you have already decided to keep working on the project I have written this letter to explain my actions last night. _

_I cannot allow myself to be in a relationship with anyone. I will not be living in this country once the tablets are translated, and I will be promoted to another position. A relationship is impossible, and I don't want to lead you on when I know that we will soon be separated. _

_On a more personal note, I'm no good for you. I have ruined every relationship that I have ever been in. I have been accused of a having a huge ego, being neglectful, demanding and often I'm accused of being insensitive. A woman like you surely can do better than me. I hope this offers at least some explanation for my behavior, though telling you this last night would have been much better than just leaving. I apologize for the way I ended things. _

_I have no reason to write this, but I wanted you to know. You have given me the most beautiful and pleasurable memories. Taking you in my arms last night while you gave me everything; I'll never forget the look on your face, the smell of your hair or your smile as we engaged in the most passionate love making that I have ever experienced. Your shy grin as you looked up at me when we finished; it is etched forever in my brain. I am in conflict with myself even as I write this I remember the feel of your skin; but it is better that I do this now than in a few months. I imagine that I would be deeply in love with you, and unable to fulfill my goal. A goal that I have been working on for years. I hope you can understand. You will still have to see me in the lab on occasion, but I won't speak to you or expect you to socialize with me. _

_Take care fairy princess._

_~Loki_

Lillia didn't know how to feel about what she just read. It made sense that Loki couldn't get involved with someone if he was planning on leaving; but he was still an ass. He shouldn't have chased after Lillia at all. Maybe this was all a lie, a way to let her down easy. Feeling that she was still just another notch in Loki's bed post Lillia drove home and tried to focus on her teaching job.


	10. Chapter 10

As Lillia walked into the lab for the first time since her indiscretion with Loki her heart raced and she felt her hands tremble. She hadn't seen Loki in 6 days, and while she felt better about what happened she was still nervous to see him. Part of her wanted to see him so she could start getting used to treating him like a colleague, and part of her hoped she would never see him again. She took a deep breath before she opened the door to the lab, but when she walked inside she found the lab empty and dark. She was relieved and settled in to work. She wanted to finish translating the other half of the first tablet this weekend. She found an official looking envelope on her keyboard. After opening it she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was her first paycheck. It was most welcome, so she put on some of her happy work music and sat down in front of her research books.

She was really starting to get the hang of translating these tablets, and Dr. Selvig had gotten the missing books that she needed. By Sunday afternoon she had finished the last half of that first tablet. Loki's prediction was right; the tablet spoke of an unknown treasure that the Egyptians located outside of the Valley of the Kings. It was said that this treasure was brought to earth by the God Ra, but Ra was unable to speak with the Egyptians and instead lived in the palace of the pharaoh until he was ready to communicate his message. This first tablet was definitely a cliff hanger. It didn't specify what Ra's message was, it's last words were translated as, "And when Ra was ready to speak to the Pharaohs he gathered them to the city of the dead." So much for getting closer to the treasure; whatever it was. What the tablet did do was describe Ra in great detail, and the days leading up to his announcement.

Lillia looked at the clock, and it was only two in the afternoon. It was time to head home again, but she was supposed to meet up with her girlfriends for an early supper. She had waited in anticipation of seeing Loki at some point this weekend, but she had been alone the whole time. She put away her books and packed up the tablets. It would be good to see her friends; she was finally going to tell them the whole Loki saga.

She stepped out of the lab and looked out the office window. There was about eight inches of snow on the ground and the campus was deserted. There wasn't a window in the lab so she didn't even see the snow begin to fall. The weather forecast hadn't called for snow at all, and it had been sunny out when she started work. She had been staying at the Marriot across the road, but she refused to stay in the same room as last time. She had already checked out, but maybe she could check back in. There was no way she could drive back home today; her car looked halfway buried. She pulled out her cell phone and noticed that she had two missed text messages. Her girlfriends had canceled the supper due to the snow. The second text was from her school; classes were already canceled for tomorrow, as the weather forecasters declared that a blizzard was on the way.

She waited in front of the elevators and when she heard the familiar ding she stepped forward to get into the compartment. She was brought up short when she found herself inches away from walking right into Loki. She was totally unprepared for this and stood there staring at him. She could smell his aroma, and it still smelled good. Loki broke the silence.

"Good afternoon Lillia, I didn't expect to see you here or I wouldn't have come. I thought you would have left already due to the snow." He was cautiously talking to her, but his eyes looked concerned. He knew she would not be making the drive home. The university was hosting an alternative energy convention and he knew that rooms at the Marriott were probably booked solid.

"I was in the lab, and I had no idea that it was snowing." She was trying hard to not be friendly to him, although he had been trying to respect her wishes. "School is canceled tomorrow anyways, so I'm just going to go back to the Marriot. It's not a problem." She smiled politely, but was careful to keep her tone cool.

"You might call them first, there is a convention here on campus and the rooms might be booked." He was trying to save her a cold walk in the heavy snow. She looked so beautiful to him, and he wished that things were different. Her blonde hair was straight today and he could smell her perfume. She was wearing blue jeans that hugged her hips, and she looked completely delectable. He reminded himself of the situation, his mission came first. He wasn't used to making mistakes; well he corrected this one the best way he knew how.

"With all this snow the convention might be cancelled, but I will call them…thanks for the tip." With that Lillia turned away to call the Marriot, she left Loki standing in the elevators. She decided she was going to use the stairs.

She was disappointed to find out that the convention started two days ago, so most of the people were already here; all of whom were staying at the Marriot. They were booked solid and she didn't know where to go. She would find another hotel in walking distance and stay there, if they weren't booked for the convention. Using her phone she got the number for three other university hotels; all of whom were booked for the convention. Where was she supposed to go? She couldn't drive, or walk anywhere. As she was trying to decide what to do she stepped off the last step and into the front lobby. She heard the elevator ding and when the doors opened out walked Loki. Wonderful, another meeting and conversation with Loki.

"Were there rooms available?" Loki's question was innocent enough, but it made Lillia wonder how he had gotten to the building. She didn't see tire tracks in the snow, or even foot prints out front.

"No, there aren't any rooms anywhere on campus. I was wondering though, how did you get here in this storm?" What did he have a secret tunnel system?

"I actually have a room upstairs that I stay in when work becomes too oppressive. I've been there all weekend, careful to avoid the lab during daylight hours. I didn't want to bother you, but I had work of my own to do." He was conscientious to look away, so Lillia knew that he wasn't trying to run into her. "Have you found a place to stay for the night?" He asked the question with a very neutral almost bored tone, ensuring that Lillia would not get the wrong idea.

"No, I thought about sleeping in my car, or in the lab in one of the chairs. I'm still weighing my options." Lillia didn't want to sound incompetent, but really how could she not notice that it was snowing. She just got so involved in her work as usual.

"There is another room adjacent to the one that I sleep in. It was meant for Dr. Selvig but he has never used it. There is a cot with clean sheets and blankets; it has a sink in the room. The bathrooms I'm afraid are down the hall, we'd have to share but it is much better than sleeping in a freezing car or in a chair." How awkward, why couldn't she have left already and not be tempting him with another night.

Lillia hesitated, separate rooms sure, but still it would be strange knowing that she and Loki were the only people in the building; yet they would be pretending that the other person wasn't there. What other choice did she have? The snow was only getting worse, and she could see her car getting buried in the heavy wet storm.

"Ok, that sounds great, is it on the same floor as the lab?"

"I'll escort you up there, give me your keys and I'll get your luggage out of your car." He held out his hand to her.

Fine, after what he did to her the least he could do is offer her a room and get her luggage for the night. She handed him her keys.


End file.
